Burgundy and Provence River Cruise

Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your cruise ship to embark on your 8-day cruise (check-in starts at 4:00 pm). A welcome cocktail and dinner awaits you tonight.(D) 

After breakfast, we suggest you explore the delights of the wine region with an optional tour of Mâconnais with its Mediterranean charm and visit the wine museum Georges Duboeuf’s Hameau du Vin. In the afternoon, consider joining an optional excursion to the ruins of Cluny Abbey.(B,L,D)  Optional Maconnais excursion incl. Wine Museum tour: With its pastel buildings and tiled roofs, Mâconnais has a Mediterranean charm. From Mâconnais we will tour the Beaujolais and Mâconnais wine regions. We will make our way through the vineyards which grace the area, as well as the castles and stately homes which bear witness to the wealth of the region. A highlight of this excursion is the visit to Georges Duboeuf’s Hameau du Vin. In the unique setting of a 19th-century railway station, you can marvel at the wine making process: the transporting of grapes and wine, the winemaker’s tools and trade, the cellars, the winemaking processes, bottling and corking. Finish the visit with a tasting of Beaujolais wines, in a room housing a barrel organ called a “bouteillophone”. Optional Visit to Cluny Abbey : The Abbey of Cluny in Burgundy was the center of a major monastic movement in the Middle Ages. Its church was the largest Christian building in the world until St. Peter’s Basilica was rebuilt in Rome in the 16th century. Although most of the great Abbey of Cluny is in ruins, you can still see remnants showing the size and glory the abbey possessed at its zenith and imagine it as it once was. Today, one transept of the 12th-century abbey church remains, along with the 15th-century abbots’ residences and 18th-century convent buildings. The site also includes beautiful gardens and a museum with Romanesque artifacts. Your guide will show you around the ancient Benedictine abbey. This church, with its unusual dimensions, was completed under the abbacy of Pierre the Venerable and consecrated in 1130. Its principal architect was Hézelon de Liège. The idea for its construction is said to have originated from a monk’s dream..

This morning, join an optional tour with a scenic drive along France’s Burgundy wine route through Pommard, Volnay, and Meursault. During this tour you will arrive in Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy, for a guided visit of the beautiful Hôtel Dieu and sample a glass of locally produced wine at one of Beaune’s famous cellars. After lunch, board your coach for an optional charming excursion to the medieval town of Brancion and Cormatin Castle (return to the ship in Tournus).(B,L,D)  Optional Burgundy Excursion to Beaune incl. wine tasting: After breakfast, take a scenic drive along France’s Burgundy wine route through Pommard, Volnay and Meursault. In Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy, you will enjoy a guided tour of the beautiful Hôtel-Dieu, founded as a hospice in 1443. Today, it covers a large area of the town with its museum, three courtyards, outbuildings, 15th-century bastion and hundreds of meters of cellars, which are notable for containing the personal reserve of the Hospices. The four buildings open to the public are situated around the Court of Honor and represent the Hôtel-Dieu of former times. The great Salle des Pauvres (”hall of the poor”), is decorated with multi-colored beams which are unique in the world. Serenity reigns here which will leave no one unmoved. The rooms overflow with treasures: statues, furniture, pottery, paintings, tapestries and more. The kitchen has been restored to look exactly as it did in the 19th century. The polyptych of “The Last Judgement”, a masterpiece by the Flemish painter Rogier Van Der Weyden, is particularly well presented. Later, enjoy a wine tasting experience at one of Beaune’s famous cellars. ”. Optional Excursion to Brancion und Cormatin: We leave Chalon-sur-Saône and drive to Brançion for a short photo stop before continuing to the Castle of Cormatin. Behind its understated exterior lies inestimable splendor. The castle is undoubtedly one of the most sumptuous castles in Burgundy, and, in addition, it boasts a Renaissance garden. The sculpted yews break up the symmetry as you enter this moated château. The rich, colorful interior reflects the French and more particularly, the Parisian fashion during the reign of Louis XIII. Built between 1605 and 1629 by the du Blé family, it chronicles the history of the arts at this time in France. The formal Renaissance garden has the “fountain of life” at its center. Beyond this is a maze with a charming wrought-iron aviary. From the top of this you can get an overview of the park.

Arrive in Lyon in the morning for a fascinating optional city tour of the gastronomic capital of France, including a visit of the old town Vieux Lyon and the Notre-Dame-de-Fourvière basilica. Indulge in a leisurely afternoon cruising along the Rhône. (B,L,D)  Optional City tour of Lyon: Lyon not only marks the meeting of the Saône and Rhône Rivers, but it is also the gastronomic capital of France. Its rich, ancient history includes Roman ruins and early Christian sites. The city tour begins with a coach trip to the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière. The well-known pilgrimage church stands on a hill, offering an unforgettable view of the city. After you’ve had a look around on your own and enjoyed a drive along the banks of the Sâone, with views of various sights including the Cathedral of St. John and the Palace of Justice, you will have the opportunity to explore Lyon’s Old Town. Take a gentle stroll through the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the famous Roman theatre and buildings showing the influence of the Italian Renaissance.

This morning set out on an optional guided walk of Avignon and see the renowned Pope's Palace, which served as papal residence, fortress, church, and palace. After lunch, consider joining an optional tour to the famous roman aqueduct Pont du Gard, one of the most important bridge buildings in ancient Roman times, and visit the picturesque village of Uzès.(B,L,D)  Optional Avignon walking tour incl. Papal Palace: Today’s excursion is a guided walk through Avignon, also known as the “City of Popes” due to the role the city played in the Avignon conspiracy of the 14th century, when a pope abandoned Rome and fled to Avignon. Avignon’s lavish Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes), is a fortress, church and palace all in one and was considered the center of the Christian world during the 14th century. From 1309 to 1377, seven popes resided in this impressive building, one of the world’s most fascinating examples of Gothic architecture. Another must-see is the Pont d’Avignon, a ruined 12th-century bridge that once spanned the Rhône and is immortalized in a folk song about dancing on the bridge. Optional Excursion to Pont du Gard and Uzès: The Pont du Gard is the greatest surviving stretch of a fifty-kilometer-long (thirthy one mile) aqueduct, built by the Romans in the middle of the first century to supply fresh water to the city of Nimes. With just a seventeen-meter difference in altitude between beginning and end, the aqueduct was quite an achievement for its time.Some miles further on, near the start of the aqueduct, lies the city of Uzès. This lovely old town perches on a hill above the River Alzon. Half a dozen medieval towers rise above its tiled roofs. The most fetching is the windowed, Pisa-like Tour Fenestrelle, tacked onto the cathedral. The narrow lanes are lined with Renaissance and Neoclassical houses which were once the residences of the 17th- and 18th-century bourgeoisie, who had grown rich on textiles.

After breakfast, join your guide for an optional walking tour of Arles with its famous amphitheater "Les Arènes." Return to the ship in Arles for lunch and this afternoon, begin your optional tour to the nature reserve Camargue, famous for its black bulls and white horses and home to more than 400 species of birds.(B,L,D) Optional Arles walking tour: Arles boasts a rich history. It was founded by the Gauls, who made it their capital. During the course of centuries, Arles was home to archbishops, became part of the Kingdom of the Franks and, later on, capital of the Kingdom of Burgundy. During our two-hour city walk, pass many ancient or Roman sights and monuments and see why UNESCO has chosen to declare Arles a World Heritage Site. A visit to the Roman arena is a must while in Arles. Why not take a break in the café that served as the model for Vincent Van Gogh’s “Café Terrace at Night”? While strolling through the city, you might even meet pilgrims walking the Way of St. James, which begins in Arles! Optional Excursion to the Camargue Nature Park: The Camargue is like a little country in its own right. Once you’re a few minutes south of Arles, you enter the unique atmosphere of the area, with its series of long, level roads criss-crossing the marshes and farmlands. For the protection of the exceptional fauna and flora, part of the Camargue was listed as a nature reserve as early as 1927. In 1970, the whole Island of Camargue (the delta of the Rhône River) was listed as the Regional Nature Park of Camargue. It is home to an astonishing range of wildlife, including the renowned Camargue bulls and horses that live in semi freedom, and many hundreds of species of birds. You will also visit Saintes Maries de la Mer, located on the Mediterranean Sea where the Rhône joins the ocean. This village is steeped in history and boasts stunning beaches which meet the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

Arrive this morning in the small town of Chateauneuf-du-Rhone and take an optional short bus ride to the Ardèche Gorge (if you have joined this excursion you will travel to Le Pouzin by bus). The afternoon is at leisure. Enjoy the Captain's Gala Dinner in the evening.(B,L,D)  Optional Excursion to the Ardèche Gorge: The Ardèche Gorge is often referred to as the Grand Canyon of Europe, its spectacular limestone cliffs tower up to 1,000 ft above the meandering river below. The entrance to the Ardèche Gorge is through the famous Pont d’Arc near Vallon which, at 192 feet is, according to the Natural Arch and Bridge Society, “the largest natural bridge in Europe”. You will take the famous Gorge Trail, from which you can see the harmonious meanderings of the river. Beautiful viewpoints such as the Pont d’Arc and Serre de Tourre offer the greatest views onto the canyon and the river Ardèche.

Disembark from your ship after breakfast. You will be transferred to the train station or airport for your onward journey or flight home.(B)